Ride in an original 1920's British Vickers Medium tank - TopLots
Tank Museum
www.tankmuseum.org

A unique opportunity to ride in an original and beautifully restored 1920's Vickers Medium tank and enjoy a day out at the UK's leading tank event – Tankfest 2008, at The Tank Museum Bovington, June 29, 2008

Your day will include a ride in the historic Vickers Medium tank, free entry to Tankfest and a VIP lunch.
The winner may choose to bring a companion, who will also be given free access to Tankfest.

Our tank was one of 13 ordered on the 5th of January 1926, and following its official period of service she was employed as a training tank at Bovington in the early years of the Second World War.

A ride in this rare and fascinating exhibit has never been available to the public before - so this really is a once in a lifetime opportunity to do something that ordinarily money cannot buy!

The Tank Museum in Dorset houses the world's best and most historically significant collection. The collection of over 250 tanks ranges from the first tank ever built (1915) to the Challenger 2 of today.

Tankfest, The Tank Museums showcase annual event, brings visitors the world's best display of moving armour – with a range of hardware from the 20th Century, and complimented by living history. This year, a British theme will see a number of historical rarities on display – including the latest kit used by the British Army today.


This is a Military and Aviation Bespoke experience lot for 1 person.
Duration: Single day

The Vickers Medium was the main British tank during the inter-war period, its chief period of service being between 1923 until 1935.
In 1923 Vickers Ltd. of Sheffield and Newcastle, started to manufacture tanks for the British Army. They were the first representatives of a new generation of tanks, designed to fight on the move and restore mobility to the battlefield. The Medium Mark I was the first British tank in service with a sprung suspension and rotating turret. The Medium Mark II, which appeared in 1925, was an improved version of the Mark I. It was powered by an air-cooled Armstrong-Siddeley V8 engine.

The Vickers Medium, Mark II* tank has a 3 pounder gun in the turret; a Vickers machine-gun in each side of the hull and a third Vickers machine-gun mounted alongside the main gun. Using these tanks the Royal Tank Corps established standards of gunnery which, in their day, were never equalled.

Vickers Medium tanks formed the backbone of the Experimental Mechanised Force of 1928, a revolutionary combat formation that carried out manoeuvres on Salisbury Plain. Some of these tanks served with the RTC in Egypt and a few were buried, as part of the fixed defences of Mersah Matruh, during the early part of the desert war. Others, supplied to the Soviet Union, fought briefly in the Russo-Finnish Winter War of 1940/41.

This tank was one of 13 ordered on the 5th of January 1926, and following its official period of service she was employed as a training tank at Bovington in the early years of the Second World War.


Terms and Conditions:
The winner will be entitled to one 15 minute ride in the tank, and free VIP access to Tankfest 2008. The winner may choose to bring a companion, who will also be given free access to Tankfest.

Payment for this lot must be received by 15th June.

The participant must be aged over 16.

Please note that due to Health & Safety regulations, the winner of this lot MUST be physically fit and able to climb into and out of a classic World War II tank WITHOUT assistance. This is to ensure that, in the unlikely event of an emergency, the participants are able to safely evacuate the tank without putting other individuals at risk. A participant who is found not to be able to meet these basic requirements may not be permitted to ride in the tank.

No refunds can be given in the event of cancellation.
Like all historic vehicles, there is a slim possibility that mechanical failure will render this tank inoperable. In this event either an alternative date will be arranged or ride in an alternative tank.

The winner is responsible for the arrangement and cost of travel.

The lot will be taken at Tankfest, on Sunday June 29th, 2008 at a time to be arranged between the winner and The Tank Museum.

This lot cannot be publicly resold without the permission of TopLots but can be offered as a gift.

The TopLots Heritage Auction is a fundraising event organised by the Association of Independent Museums (Registered Charity: 1082215) acting as the agent for arts and heritage organisations across the UK. Delivery of this lot, as described, to the winner is the responsibility of The Tank Museum which will receive (after direct transaction and listing costs) 80% of the winning bid. The remaining 20% is retained by the Association of Independent Museums (AIM) to cover the administrative costs of running the TopLots auction.


We accept payment through Paypal (preferred), credit/debit card (using Paypal secure payment) or cash delivered in person to Oxford or York.

We accept Credit/Debit Card, Cash delivered in person, Bankers Draft, Paypal and Pre-arranged secure payment.